Politics & Government

It's Official - Winslow is First Official Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate

Other candidates still looking to get on the ballot, but here's a look back at the week in the race for U.S. Senate.

It was a wild week, as the special election for John Kerry’s U.S. Senate seat continued to take shape. Though many Republican contenders were rumored to jump into the race, so far only three have officially announced their candidacies.

Republican State Representative Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk) announced officially on Thursday that he is running for U.S. Senate. Earlier last week, Winslow said he was forming an exploratory committee for the U.S. Senate seat. Winslow represents the 9th Norfolk District, consisting of the towns of Norfolk, Plainville and Wrentham, along with Precincts 3 and 4 in Medfield, Precinct 1 in Millis and Precinct 5 in Walpole.

Also announcing this week was former Ashland Board of Selectmen Chairman Jon Fetherston, who told Framingham Patch he will be a candidate in the race. Fetherston, who ran an unsuccessful campaign against State Rep. Tom Sannincadro, has started the the process to obtain 10,000 certified signatures to be on the special election Republican Primary ballot on April 30.

Another Republican, former Nantucket selectman and county commissioner Douglas Bennett, said this week that he’s making a bid for the seat, as well.

North Shore Republican and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) told the State House News Service he is also considering a run. Tarr, who represents the 1st Essex and Middlesex District, which includes the towns of Gloucester, Boxford, Essex, Georgetown, Groveland, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Middleton, Newbury, North Andover, Rockport, Rowley, Wenham, West Newbury and Wilmington, said he’ll make a decision by Monday.

And the Boston Globe reported former Navy Seal Gabriel Gomez, of Cohassett is also considering a run.

On Monday, Beverly Libertarian Daniel Fishman announced he would attempt to get on the ballot. Fishman garnered more than 16,000 votes in the 6th Congressional District election last fall finishing third behind Congressman John Tierney and Republican candidate Richard Tisei.

This week we also saw several Republicans opt out of the race, including former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, former State Sen. Minority Leader Richard Tisei and Tagg Romney.

Two Democrats – Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) and Congressman Edward Markey (D-Malden) – will face off in an April Primary and are off and running with their campaigning.

On Thursday, William “Mo” Cowan was sworn in as the interim senator and will serve until a new senator is elected in the June 25 special election. Patch reported in December that Cowan, a Stoughton resident, would be stepping down this month and returning to the private sector.


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